The second chapter of James has one of the most highly debated verses of the bible. Verse 24 says, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." Catholics have traditionally believed that faith is just the starting point in justification. There are quite a few rules and regs that need to be followed to maintain that status. Most Protestants believe that all that is required for salvation is belief and repentance, and James seems to contradict that with this verse. But by examining the context in the rest of Chapter 2, I believe James is actually making a different point. A "true faith" in Jesus will naturally be followed by an attempt to live like Him. If this doesn't happen, then it is reasonable that one might question whether that faith is a true faith (living faith). That being said, we all remain sinners and will never live completely like Jesus until we meet him face to face. I believe He wants me to try harder to live like Him, and for Him, every day - every minute - every second. I want to do that today.
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